


Scaling the Wall

by Schangia



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:19:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21533029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schangia/pseuds/Schangia
Summary: A collection of requests I wrote on tumblr a few years back.
Relationships: Annie Leonhart/Eren Yeager, Armin Arlert/Jean Kirstein, Jean Kirstein/Eren Yeager, Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir, Mikasa Ackerman & Armin Arlert, Mikasa Ackerman & Eren Yeager, Reiner Braun & Bertolt Hoover & Annie Leonhart, Reiner Braun/Bertolt Hoover
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. Mission: Partly Accomplished (Reiner, Bertolt, Annie)

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie. 104 pranking shenanigans. Reiner trying to get a rise out of Annie, and Bertolt following him telling how much of a bad idea it is.

Annie never smiled. She hardly ever showed any facial expression at all, and considering how long they’ve known each other, it started to seriously get on Reiner's nerves. He's never seen her interact with others on her own will, he's never observed her starting a conversation, he's never heard her snicker, let alone laugh. Could she even laugh?  
Since he didn't know the answer to this question and was pretty eager to find out, Reiner started to think up plans to bring Annie out of her shell.

"You shouldn't do that." Bertolt's voice was low, timid even, as he looked around restlessly. They were currently hiding behind one of the shacks, Reiner down on one knee, cautiously peeking around the corner, Bertolt standing a few steps behind him. When the larger teen received no answer, he added: "She won't hesitate to hurt you."  
At first Reiner wanted to protest, but then he remembered who they were talking about. He swallowed hard, suddenly feeling less confident than before. And he hadn't been overly confident about this to begin with. After all, this wasn't his first try on getting Annie to express the tiniest bit of emotion.

_"Annie, wait!"_  
_She slowly came to a halt, turning around and waiting for Reiner to catch up to her. It annoyed her how far she had to tilt her head back in order to look him straight in the eyes, but she had become used to it. Or so Reiner hoped. After a few moments of thinking his next actions through once more, he took a deep breath._  
_"I don't like your face, Annie."_  
_Although Bertolt had made sure to wait at a safe distance, Reiner could practically hear him sigh out of frustration. The girl in front of him, however, did no such thing. She kept staring at him for a while, then turned and walked away without looking back. First attempt at getting a rise out of Annie: failed._

After that he had tried to trip and make her fall. Easier said than done.

_"This won't work", Bertolt murmured, doubtfully looking down at the rope in his hands._  
_Either Reiner didn't hear him or he did and chose to ignore him; Bertolt wasn't sure, because the other one was so absorbed in his strange plan that he didn't seem to care about anything else at the moment. Without as much as looking at him, Reiner shooed him to the other side of the narrow road, once more reminding him to stretch the rope firmly. Bertolt obeyed, of course. He may have had better things to do, yes, but he couldn't bring himself to leave Reiner alone with his newfound... goal. Other than his friend Bertolt knew that it wasn't wise to anger Annie, no matter how calm she seemed._  
_A slight tug at the other end of the rope brought him back to his current task; Annie was approaching and Reiner was still serious about doing this. She came closer, closer and... saw through it, as expected. Well, Reiner obviously didn't expect her to outsmart him by simply stepping over the rope, given that he stared at her with wide eyes and an open mouth. Luckly, Annie just slowly shook her head and continued walking. Thus, the second attempt also failed._

After this, countless and even more senseless attempts followed, and Bertolt stopped warning his friend after a while. He didn't see the need to anymore; the pranks were so harmless that Annie probably wouldn't consider getting back at him. Although Reiner had also tried hiding some bread in her hood – pulling that off without her noticing deserves some praise he's never got – and had put Sasha onto her, which had resulted in a badly beaten, still hungry Sasha and a look directed at him of which he wasn't sure how to read it. It could either mean 'Just stop it already, I'm tired of this' or 'If you keep on doing this I'll crack your skull open and let ravens feast upon your brain'.  
While Bertolt insisted it meant the latter, Reiner kept on believing that he was the closest to getting a rise out of Annie than anyone has ever been.

What he was about to do now, though, was on a whole nother level. That's what Bertolt's first reaction to his plan had told him. Before Reiner had even finished his sentence, his friend's face had lost all colour.  
"Reiner, I...", he had managed to stutter after what Reiner believed to be at least two minutes, "I don't think... that you should do this. Seriously. It's not worth getting your ass handed to you."  
Reiner had just snorted at that. Of course it was worth it! Or so he kept on making himself believe, because he found it hard to give up on something he was so eager on achieving. Bertolt, however, hadn't even listened to him explaining his plan to the end and had stressed more than once that he was only keeping him company this time because he wanted to make sure he came back alive.  
Beaten to a bloody pulp, yes, but alive.

As the moment of Annie approaching the scene came nearer, Reiner was rather grateful for his friend being there with him, even if it was just to stand by and watch while he was beaten up by someone much shorter and way more delicate than himself.  
"Y'know, Bertolt, when this is over we should get back to training. Can't slack off because of this." It didn't come as a surprise to him that his friend didn't answer, so he kept his back facing him, keeping up the conversation to ease his nervousness. "What do you think, what kind of face will Annie make if she gets caught in my prank?"  
Again, no answer. Reiner furrowed his brow, sighed and slowly turned around.  
"You could at least answer my question, Bert—"

The sight before him made his blood rush through his veins with a sudden speed and power that made him go dizzy for a moment. Annie had suddenly appeared behind them, standing not even three steps between him and a quivering, slumped down Bertolt, who, from the look on his face, wasn't sure whether he wanted to apologise to Reiner first for not warning him or whether he wanted to start running right away.  
"H-hey, Annie, what a nice day, right?" Reiner tried to laugh to cover up his fear (yes, _fear_, because all three of them knew that Annie was more than capable of finishing him off), but to no avail.  
"Go get someone else to play around", she stated quietly, emotionless gaze fixed upon him, like a predator would look at its prey.

Reiner only managed to swallow once, then everything happened in the blink of an eye. He felt how his back made contact with the hard ground, knocking the air right out of him. His feet were placed on both sides of his head, making him look ridiculous and rather pathetic. He remained like this for a few seconds, waiting for Annie to leave and a still stressed out Bertolt to appear by his side. His friend didn't really seem to know what to say, nervously fidgetting with the hem of his shirt. Despite his position, Reiner still managed to flash him a forced, yet victorious grin and give him a thumbs up.

"47th attempt: success!"


	2. Like the world itself (titan!Eren & Mikasa)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: titan!eren and mikasa

_Cruel._

That was the first thing coming to Mikasa's mind when she realised that the abnormal titan that mercilessly killed his own kind was Eren. She thought about how cruel this twisted world was for turning him into the one thing he despised with every fiber of his being. This form may be giving him strength, endurance and an elusive immortality, but Mikasa couldn't bring herself to believe that Eren was satisfied with how his fate had turned out.  
That is, if he was still acting based on his own free will, not on his instincts – be it titan or human instincts –, because the transformation had made him lose his mind. Mikasa didn't know, didn't want to know because she feared that Eren was suffering, and she could do nothing to help him.

His scream, filled with so much anger and hatred that it could've been easily mistaken with pain and agony, brought Mikasa back to her senses.  
Eren had been approaching her – knowingly, she hoped, since the thought of Eren being taken over by the instincts of his titan self sickened her – and was now less than an arm's reach away from her. She stood on the rooftop, unmoving, letting the wind yank at her clothing, her eyes firmly resting on the titan before her.  
Her instincts told her to bare her blade and kill, kill, kill – kill the thing Eren hated most in this world, but her sanity kept her hands at her side.

She was only mildly surprised when the titan extended a hand to her, gigantic palm facing upward, slowly reaching out to her until she could've touched the sharp fingers if she had wanted to. Mikasa hesitated in an attempt to figure out whether her trust in Eren weighed more than her distrust and repulsion for titans; it did, in fact. Confident this time, she closed the remaining distance, stepping onto the titan's, onto Eren's hand, latching on to his thumb to keep herself steady when he brought his hand closer to his face.

_Beautiful._

That was the first thing coming to Mikasa's mind when she realised that his eyes were still the same. She thought about how beautiful Eren's eyes had always been to her; beautifully coloured orbs reflecting an even more beautiful soul. A soul filled with courage and the determination to always strive to achieve his goals. A soul filled with so much light, so much warmth, that it didn't matter to Mikasa which form his body took. One look into the titan's eyes assured her that Eren was alive, that he was there, _there for her_, even if he had transformed temporarily.

If she hadn't known better, Mikasa would've claimed she saw the titan smile. Not in the sickeningly disgusting way all the other titans used to smile, but in a way only Eren could. The way the titan tilted its head to the side, bringing his free hand up to his face also reminded her of him. All of this was so familiar to her that she indulged in these feelings just for a moment, letting the warmth fill her body. It was only then that she realised the tears streaming down her cheeks, and maybe she would've never noticed them at all if the titan hadn't put his index finger to his face, drawing an invisible line from his eye to his chin, tilting his head even further as if trying to ask why she was crying.

Mikasa smiled, a real smile she only ever showed Eren. He brought her closer to his face, close enough for her to rest a hand against his nose. It felt warm, felt like Eren. Felt so familiar that she feared the tears wouldn't stop coming. She slowly closed her eyes, burying her face in her scarf and leaning against him.

"Let's go home, Eren."


	3. Unfair (Ymir/Krista)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Ymir x Christa, drama/romance/light smut. Let it takes place after the whole mission where Eren becomes a titan. Christa is feeling really down at the lost of many people and could not sleep, Ymir finds her outside and tries to lighten the mood but only to make things more complicated.

"You look horrible."

Ymir never sugarcoats anything she says, and Krista is thankful for that. It's one of the character traits that make Ymir a good friend, or so she likes to believe. What she doesn't appreciate as much is the fact that Ymir never knows when to leave her alone, when to give her some time to think things through without anyone around.

It doesn't take her long to figure out that Ymir has probably woken up and decided to go look for her when she noticed she wasn't lying next to her. But then she should also know that Krista doesn't want anyone to keep her company now. And she most likely does but chooses to ignore it.

"That's probably because I feel horrible", Krista answers quietly as her friend sits down beside her.  
"Care to tell me why?"  
She only raises a thin eyebrow at Ymir's question but doesn't dare to look at her.

She takes her time to reply, although she firmly believes the other girl already knows the answer.  
"We've lost so many comrades today."  
Her voice is soft, barely louder than a whisper. The way her friend clicks her tongue disapprovingly makes Krista furrow her brow.

"That's what they should've been prepared for after signing up for this."

"Ymir!"

"Yeah yeah, compassion and all. Got it."  
Ymir makes a mental note to be more careful with her choice of words when she knows the smaller girl is upset already. Then she puts that note away for later because she is sure that she'll never make use of it anyway.  
"But seriously", she adds after a long sigh, "Why do you care so much? You hardly spoke to most of them. Do you even remember all their names?"

"That's not the point", Krista insists albeit wondering whether Ymir can actually understand what she wants to say next.

As expected, the other girl just tilts her head back for a moment, sighing exasperated. "What is the point then?"  
She would love to understand.

"They were humans, Ymir! Humans just like you and me, and they didn’t deserve to die!"  
It's the first time Krista looks at her since they have started talking and Ymir wishes she wouldn't have done that. She knows the look in her friend's eyes too well; it is despair, the frustration of being powerless. The thought that Krista feels that way sickens her.

Still, the only thing she does is snort.  
"It's not about whether they deserve it or not. That's what they chose to do, that's what they chose to give their lives for. Whether they ultimately were prepared for their death or not doesn't matter. It cannot matter, because they have to bear the consequences of their choices. It's not something we could do for them."

Ymir has always been bad a lightening the mood. She is reminded of that again when she realises the way her friend stares at her.  
"Geez, Krista, don't gimme that look!"

"What look?" She tilts her head in suspicion, most likely aware of the fact that Ymir is trying to change the topic.

"Your 'I-don't-care-what-you're-saying-I-won't-change-my-mind'-look."

"I'm not looking like that!"

"You are." Ymir cannot stop herself from smirking at the admittedly cute sight of Krista crossing her arms, pouting and turning the other way. She uses this break to run a hand through her hair, thinking about what to do next.

"It's not your fault", Ymir tries again, keeping her voice low. "Heck, it's not even something that should concern you."  
Krista unfolds her arms and rests her hands on either side of her body.  
"I know."

"Yet you make it your personal problem."

"I tend to do that a lot, huh?"  
Even without seeing the smile tugging at Krista's lips, Ymir knows that it's sad, that it's solely meant to cover up her feelings of guilt and shame and uneasiness.

Unsure of what to do next, Ymir hesitates for a moment. Then she puts her hand on Krista's head, gently pulling her towards her until her head is leaning on her shoulder.  
"I really love your considerate side, Krista, but you should stop letting things like this get to you." Her gaze shifts to the sky, becoming unfocused. "People die. Easily. Because human bodies are fragile."  
She is not sure whom she is talking about any more, but she assumes that Krista knows.

"It's not fair."

"The world doesn't owe us fairness."  
She has learnt this the hard way, but she doesn't want Krista to make the same experience.

Neither of the two girls knows how long they stayed this way when Ymir finally sighs on last time.  
"We should go back to sleep."  
She offers a hand to her friend, helping her up. The difference in height between them amuses her, but she tries her best to hide her smile.

"I'm not sure whether I ca—", Krista wants to protest. A pair of not so soft lips on her own interrupts her. It's no surprise, though; she has got used to Ymir doing that from time to time. She has also got used to the way Ymir smiles at her after each kiss.

"Well, you should at least try. Otherwise I'll keep you awake till morning comes."  
With that she flashes Krista a grin, making her way back to the shacks. Krista pouts for a moment, then smiles as well and catches up to her friend.

"You wish", she murmurs provokingly when she arrives at her side, falling into her pace. She counts the seconds until Ymir slips her arm around her shoulder.

"You have no idea how much."


	4. Call my name (Jean/Eren)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jean/Eren. Jean know that he was no longer jealous to Eren because of Mikasa but he can't help feeling irritated when he saw how close the two together. He thought he still like Mikasa, but then he start to realize that the person he like is not Mikasa but a certain brunette.

"Mikasa." Annoying.

"Mikasa!" So annoying.

"Hey, Mikasa!" It annoyed Jean greatly how Eren would always call her name, at any given time, in every situation, no matter whether she was standing right next to him or so far away that the average human being couldn't even hear him. Although she probably heard him anyway; it was Mikasa after all. He could easily imagine her having some sort of hyper intuition when it came to Eren, but that wasn't his main concern right now.

It had actually taken him some time until he had it figured out. Jean used to believe that it bothered him how close Eren and Mikasa were because he wanted her all to himself, because he didn't want him to be near her at all. He had believed he was being jealous of Eren because he could spend as much time with her as he wanted.

Which was wrong. He wasn't jealous of Eren at all. Rather, he had a hard time getting that little shit out of his head. When they were having meals he still stared at the table Eren, Armin and Mikasa would sit at. Much to his dismay he had forgot at which point in time he hadn't wished himself to be in Eren's, but in Mikasa's stead. It bothered him, yes, but once he realised there was nothing he could do against the unnervingly warm feeling that spread in his stomach whenever he looked at him, Jean settled for keeping quiet about and living with it. What bothered him even more, however, was that he had to fall for Eren. Why _him_ of all people?

But Jean had always been quite good at putting things he didn't want to think about at the back of his mind, and so he hadn't even told Marco. And his best friend, albeit being fairly perceptive, hadn't confronted him with anything related to the matter. So nobody knew.  
Until one evening...

"Guys, has anyone of you seen Mikasa?", Eren asked no one in particular upon entering the shack they all shared. The carefree tone in his voice was what finally made Jean snap. He didn't even look up from the book he was reading when he clicked his tongue at the other boy's question.  
"Stop constantly calling her name. It's irritating."

He could've sworn Eren rolled his eyes. "Oh my, I'm so sorry to bother you, your majesty."

"It makes you seem like an incapable idiot asking a girl for help", Jean continued to tease him, bookmarking the page he just finished and putting the book aside, all while giving him a smug look.

Eren only stared at him.  
"What's so wrong about asking a girl for help? She's way stronger than you are."  
Jean winced at the comment, even more so when he could hear several people snicker. He hadn't consider that this could backfire on him.  
"T-that's not the point!"

Unfortunately, Connie decided to open his sorry mouth at that very moment although nobody had asked for his opinion.  
"Oi, Eren! Maybe Jean wants you to say his name instead?"  
Silence. Nobody dared to speak for a few moments, then everyone seemed to break out in laughter at the same time.

Everyone apart from Jean.  
"Shut up, Connie!", he growled, feeling the blush rise to his cheeks.

"Bull's eye, huh?" The things Jean would give away to punch that provoking grin out of his face.

"Not in the least!"

"Uuh, I never knew you had a thing for boys. Or is it just because it's Eren?"  
Connie started laughing so hard that he threatened to fall off his bed. Not that Jean minded. If he had been sitting beside him, he would've made sure to push him.

Almost all boys kept laughing or snickering. It made his blood boil; he may have loved being the centre of attention, but this wasn't exactly the kind of attention he wanted. While it took all his effort to not throw everything within his reach at Connie, he had no problem at avoiding eye contact with Eren.  
The unfading laughter made him uncomfortable, even more so because some of his closer friends didn't stop to ridicule him as well. This battle was lost, he concluded, sighing soundlessly before lying down and facing the others with his back.  
"I'm surrounded by idiots..."

Jean was the first on to get up the next morning, and even after lunchtime and the break they were given he refused to talk to anybody – well, except Marco, but that guy was just way too friendly and caring for him to ignore him like he did with the others.  
He was about to get back to the shack, quickly looking something up, when he heard a certain someone call his name.  
"Jean!"  
He would've liked to slap himself for the shiver that ran down his spine when he instantly recognized Eren's voice, but that would make him seem even more like a fool.

"What is it?", he asked once Eren caught up to him.

"Jean, about yesterday..." Eren didn't finish the sentence. To everybody else it would've appeared as if he didn't know what to say, but Jean knew he just pretended to be at a loss of words. He warily raised a brow as Eren continued. "You see, Jean, I thi—"

"Why do you keep saying my name?"  
He had a good idea of what that moron was trying to pull off, and the way Eren now started to grin at him angered Jean more than he would've imagined.

"Isn't that what you wanted me to do?"  
That little shit. He knew exactly how to push his buttons. But Jean certainly didn't intend to let him have the upper hand that easily.  
"Don't tell me you actually believe what Connie babbled?"

Eren dared to snort in response to his question. "I'm not, but I have to say that I'm actually quite proud of my insight into human nature."

"Insight into human nature my ass. You're imagining things."

"Am I really, _Jean_?" He was good, Jean gave him that. Annoyingly precise and spot-on when it came to infuriating him.  
"Stop that!"  
As a precaution he turned around and continued to make his way toward their shack, or else Eren might've seen how flustered he looked.

Even so, Eren quickly took after him. "You like it, don't you?"

"You wish, Eren."  
He tried to spit out the words with as much venom as currently possible, but the reply he got made him question his abilities.  
"Well, at least I like how you say my name", Eren admitted right before Jean planned to enter the shack.

"...eh?" With his hand still resting on the door knob, he turned his head.  
Eren looked at him questioningly. "What?"

Ever so slowly, almost threateningly, Jean took a few steps back and faced the other boy again.  
"You're fucking with me, aren't you?"  
His voice wasn't accusing or furious but calm, and this was probably the reason why Eren swallowed hard before answering.

"Am not."

Jean was at his limit. He didn't want to and simply couldn't take any more than this. He came closer, pushed Eren back until his back hit the wall. When he suddenly slammed both hands next to either side of the smaller boy's head he appeared much more intimidating than he had ever thought he could be.

"You better not be, _Yeager_. Nothing good has ever come from pissing me off."

It was a warning, the last one he was willing to give. Yet Eren didn't seem to mind his proximity at all, not even when he had closed in so much that his face was only inches apart. Rather, he raised his chin a bit and looked at him challengingly.

“We'll see about that, _Kirstein_.”

So annoying, Jean thought as he closed the remaining distance between them and crashed his lips down on Eren's.


	5. Extraordinary (Mikasa & Armin)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: I would love to see you write something Mikasa/Armin! It doesn’t necessarily have to be romantic, just some interaction between them (they are childhood friends after all!) since I’ve seen a lot of Mikasa/Eren/Armin and Mikasa/Eren and Eren/Armin but not as much Mikasa/Armin~ And I do imagine Mikasa would show a similar degree of care towards Armin.

It was nothing out of the ordinary. He had been getting used to being beaten up on a daily base, so Armin had come to just accept and go along with it. It wasn't like he could win against three to five taller boys anyway, he knew that just as well as they did. He probably wouldn't even stand a chance against one of them, so he just complied and waited for the humiliation to be over.

It was nothing out of the ordinary that he kept talking back to them, though. They could punch him, kick him, beat him up even though he was already lying on the dusty ground, but he would never stop telling them how wrong he thought they were. Who gave them the right to laugh at his dreams, to make fun of him for actually thinking out of the box, out of the walls they were surrounded by? Nobody had the right to laugh at someone else's dream, he told himself over and over again, but after the umpteenth time his inner voice grew quieter, seemed to grow tired of constantly resisting. He could still hear the voice, yes, but he had to concentrate more and more on it or its words would go unnoticed.

It was nothing out of the ordinary that Eren and Mikasa would come to his aid sooner or later. Armin relied too much on them, he knew that, but he couldn't help it. Yet, what he didn't expect was for Mikasa to arrive without Eren. It was a matter of less than a minute before the bullies were put to flight, and Armin found himself slumped against the wall, staring at his friend wide-eyed, asking himself how Mikasa managed to win against them seemingly easier without Eren around.

Not that it mattered. In moments like this, when one of his friends had helped him out again, and he could do nothing but remain on the ground, putting his knees to his chest and his arms around them, Armin didn't have enough strength left to keep the tears from coming.

"I'm... I'm sorry you h-had to save me again, Mikasa", he mumbled when he noticed her approaching, lowering his head in shame. "Where's Eren? Ah, nevermind."  
Armin rested his chin on his knees, directing his gaze vaguely at the ground before him. "He probably grew tired of helping me out." 

"Armin." He could see Mikasa's feet before him but wasn't brave enough to look up.

"I would've done that long ago", he continued quietly, his voice shaking more and more. "No matter what I do, it never turns out to be the right thing."  
He failed to be of help for his friends, but Armin didn't want to say that out loud. It would be like openly admitting that they had no need for him, that perhaps both Eren and Mikasa only kept him company because they didn't want to be held responsible when he was found beaten to death one day.

"Armin."  
Mikasa crouched down before him, and he could easily imagine her trying to make eye contact. Why was she being so nice to him? All he ever did was cause her problems she was forced to solve because he wasn't strong enough on his own.

Armin couldn't hold back the tears any longer. Sobs threatened to take over his voice completely, but he still tried to keep apologising.  
"I'm only being a burden to you guys. I'm sorry, Mikasa. I'm so—"

"Armin, listen."  
Two words were enough to make his breath hitch in his throat. Was he going to get scolded? Was she going to tell him that this was the last time she had helped him out? Was she going to abandon him? Armin wished she would just leave it at that.

"Going to the world outside of the walls is your dream, right?"  
Mikasa's voice wasn't hostile, it was calm and soothing even, making it easier for him to stop crying. He simply nodded, keeping his eyes down.

"And it will always stay your dream, no matter how often they ridicule you for it."  
Not a question but a statement. A statement he could only agree to, albeit reluctantly. He hesitated again before finally lifting his head and looking at his friend, nodding.

The way the corners of Mikasa's mouth curled upward reminded Armin that he had never seen her smile up to this point.   
"Sometimes I think you are the most determined one out of us three."

"What are you say—"

"You strongly believe in your dreams and always follow them." She slowly stood up again, faintly brushing one of her hands against his shoulder. Her voice has never been this firm, this genuine, this _convinced_ when she had talked to him before, he noticed. "That's something I admire you for, Armin."

It was nothing out of the ordinary. He had always been saved by one of his friends, as long as he could remember. What Armin couldn't recall, however, was the extraordinarily warm smile Mikasa gave him as she extended a hand for him to take.


	6. Fixed (Reiner/Bertolt)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: would you want to write a fic about Reiner/Bert like them thinking about how everything was different when they were back in their village and how much they have changed/ their relationship. Like Bert catches Reiner being a bit flustered around Krista cuz of her kind gestures and Reiner figures out and explains to bert that he reponds that way cuz she reminds him of how bert used to be back home? And now Berts just scared and selfish?

It bothered Bertolt greatly how Reiner would act around Krista, yet he never confronted him with it. He just wasn't the type to be bold, to be straightforward or to start talking about issues. For that reason he enjoyed the company of perceptive people. However, his preferences didn't necessarily include Reiner's behaviour at all times.

"What is it?"  
Reiner had grown tired of Bertolt stealing glances at him every few seconds for the past hour. After the other boys left some time ago, they were finally alone and Reiner was free to talk about whatever he liked. His friend on the other hand didn't seem too pleased with that.  
"...it's nothing", he mumbled quietly, quickly averting his gaze.

Reiner sighed, a long and heavy sign of his growing frustration. He was quick to get upset when the other one didn't manage to speak out what was on his mind.   
"You're upset, don't try to lie to me." He had learnt long ago to tell apart truth and lie when it came to his best friend.

"No, it's just that—"

"Bertolt."  
Reiner's voice was firm, rigid. It told Bertolt that he wouldn't drop the subject any time soon. Shifting around uncomfortably, he finally faced Reiner but avoided looking him directly in the eyes.  
"That was the third time this week you went out after dinner to talk to her", he said, sounding too accusing even to his own ears.  
Reiner thought about the words for a second. He had done that because Krista and some other girls were chosen to perform some physically exhausting duties and Reiner couldn't ignore the fact that they just weren't built to pull that off, so he had sneaked out to help them. But he wasn't in the mood to explain that. It wasn't their real problem anyway.

Reiner started massaging his temple subconsciously, sighing once again.  
"Stop whining about every little thing."  
Considering that he wasn't all too angry, he sounded pretty harsh. For a split-second he contemplated apologising, but quickly came to the conclusion that there was no need for it. Bertolt never seemed to mind in what tone of voice he spoke to him. At least he never told him if he did.

Bertolt focussed his look on the ground, furrowing his brow. "Then why do you keep seeking her company?"

That question caught Reiner off-guard. At first, he didn't know how to reply, so he just kept quiet.

"Well?", Bertolt pushed, eagerly awaiting a response albeit not knowing whether he'd be satisfied with the one he'd get.

Reiner knew he shouldn't phrase his answer the way he had in his mind already, being completely aware that he would cross a line with it. He chose to say it anyway.

"She reminds me of how you used to be."

That hit. It hit Bertolt right where he never wanted to be hurt again. Not after what happened years ago. It must've shown on his face, he was sure of that when he noticed Reiner looking the other way, swallowing hard as if trying to surpress the apology lurking on his tongue.  
Bertolt was used to that. One of them would say something that hurt the other, but no one ever apologised. They didn't need to, he wanted to believe, because they were never serious with their scathing remarks.

It still hurt, Bertolt concluded, as he thought about what Reiner had just told him.  
Why did Krista remind him of how he used to be? Krista was kind, she seemed like the embodiment of every good in this world. He never used to be like that, at least not deep down. He'd always been full of negative character traits and it surprised him that Reiner hadn't noticed up till now. Or maybe even refused to notice.

"So I'm the one who changed..."  
Bertolt exhaled a long breath, barely keeping himself from laughing at that statement. He was at a loss of words, had too many things on his mind that he wanted to say. Instead, he settled with reminding his friend why they were here in the first place.  
"It's our duty, Reiner."

The other male closed his eyes for a few seconds. "I know that."

"No, you forgot. You've become like them, you know?" Upon realising how accusing he sounded, Bertolt cleared his throat and continued with a softer tone. "You keep talking about how much I changed, but haven't you changed as well?"

Reiner raised an eyebrow, glaring at him suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

So he hadn't noticed. It almost amused him, being aware of something Reiner wasn't, because for the two of them it had hardly been like this before. Perhaps this was the reason why Bertolt had problems putting his exact thoughts into words.

"You were a warrior. Someone I could look up to, someone I could rely on when I felt myself falter. Now I'm not sure whether..."  
Frustrated, he sighed and shook his head.  
"Can we keep going like this, Reiner?"  
It was the first time this evening that he chose to make direct eye contact.

"Why shouldn't we? You said it yourself; it's our duty. We're not allowed to falter."  
He sounded not half as convinced as he used to be, but Bertolt didn't say that out loud. He merely brought one hand to his lips, absent-mindedly biting down on his fingernails.

"I'm scared." It was nothing but a whisper, and Reiner wasn't sure whether he had heard him correctly.

"There's nothing for us to be scared of", he grimaced, wondering what exactly his friend meant.

"For you, perhaps."  
Bertolt smiled, and it nearly pained Reiner how sad he looked. He groaned louder than he intended to, quickly running his fingers through his short hair.  
"You worry too much." That was the one thing he didn't want to accept about him.

Bertolt blinked, seemingly surprised although he shouldn't have been. Then he smiled again, more cautiously this time.  
"That's because I want you all to myself", he admitted barely audible, but Reiner still heard him, almost instantly relaxing as soon as his brain processed the meaning behind these words.

He scooted closer to his friend, a grin tugging at his lips. "Selfish as always."

Bertolt looked up, chuckling deeply when he noticed how the other one raised a hand to place it in his neck, pulling him down a bit. “That hasn’t changed, huh?”

Reiner leaned in, his last words mumbled against thin lips. "That's something that should never change."


	7. What are you fighting for? (Eren/Annie)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: May I request some Eren/Annie?

"She's not cut out to be a soldier."

That's what Reiner had repeatedly told him after Annie had handed their asses to them during close combat training, and Eren had trouble putting that thought aside. It intrigued him that Annie – albeit showing no interest in living up to the ideal image of a soldier – was so exceptionally good at what she did, yet seemingly put no effort into her training. Excelling in their daily practice came naturally to her, and Eren found that incredibly unfair. Especially considering the fact that he put his heart and soul into his every doing and had to exert himself to gain satisfying results.

Perhaps this was one of the reasons he rejected Annie when she offered to help him improve his close combat skills. He didn't want to be taught by someone who wasn't serious about what she was doing. Still, for someone who wasn't serious she sure knew how to kick in a way that made his legs hurt for three days straight. In the end it didn't matter how much Eren thought about this issue, he still had absolutely no clue.  
Until one evening he and Annie were to perform cleaning duty together.

The room they used to have their meals in appeared so much bigger when only two people were occupying it, Eren noticed while they were working tacitly. A good quarter of an hour had already passed, and he still hadn't mustered up enough courage to start talking. He blamed that on his inability to find a good opening to begin the conversation.

Eventually he sighed, briefly closing his eyes before speaking up. "Annie?"  
His voice sounded different in the large room, momentarily distracting him so that he nearly missed her curt nod. Eren took it as permission to keep talking, which he did after a short pause.

"I want to ask you something. It's about what Reiner said to you. You know, you not being cut out to be a soldier and all."

She didn't turn around to face him, making it impossible for Eren to see her frown. But the temporary hesitation in her movement was enough for him to know that he had caught her off guard with his question.

"Reiner has become too much of a soldier already", she muttered after a while, still not bothering to look at him, although Eren sensed something was off with her.

"Huh?"

Annie shook her head.  
"Nevermind." She sighed soundlessly and finally turned around, the usual blank expression on her face. "What did you want to ask me?"

Eren didn't quite know why he was tongue-tied; maybe because he didn't expect her to actually allow him to ask her, or maybe because she even looked at him now. Or maybe – he felt uncomfortable considering this – it was because the way the dim light made her hair shine in a colour he had never seen before distracted him greatly. He must've looked pretty stupid with his mouth wide open, gaping at her.

After nearly a minute of silence, Annie raised her eyebrow in anticipation. It was then that Eren ultimately swallowed and spoke up again.  
"What are you fighting for?"

She tilted her head to the side minimally, her voice still sober and otherwise emotionless. "What do you mean?"

What _did_ he mean, actually? Eren had tried to think of some answers she could have given him beforehand, but he had never really come to a conclusion.

"T-the reason why you decided to become a soldier", he stuttered helplessly, gesturing with his hands rather clumsily, thus earning him a wary look. "There has to be one. Is it because of your father?"  
He remembered how she told him that she was more or less forced to learn all those astonishing techniques albeit knowing they were useless in a fight against a titan.   
"Or is it because of something else? I can imagine tha—"

"I'm not a soldier to begin with", she interrupted firmly, gazing at the wall far behind Eren rather than returning his fierce look.

"That's not the point."  
But what if it was? Eren felt as if he could never truly understand her if their conversation kept going like this. He cleared his throat, trying hard to give her a reassuring look.  
"Why are you fighting, Annie?"

He never knew that he could talk with such a gentle voice. Still, Annie seemed unfazed. In fact, it almost offended Eren to see her furrowing her brow and clicking her tongue. "That has nothing to do with you."

Like hell it had nothing to do with him! They were supposed to fight alongside each other, and for him that meant he had the right to know at least this much about his comrades.  
"But I want to know!"  
Eren didn't care that he sounded like a little child and probably also looked like one with his fists clenched tightly and his bottom lip pushed forward in a pout.

"Why?" Annie tucked back a loose strand of hair behind her ear, shooting a suspicious glance at him. Both of them didn't seem all too satisfied with the direction their talk headed into.

Suddenly Eren felt nervous, although he hadn't got the faintest idea why.  
"E-eh? Dunno, I’m just interested in...”, he trailed off, unsure whether he'd be pleased with the reply he was about to give.

The sound of Annie's chuckle startled him. Not only because it was the first time he had ever heard that kind of noise from her, but also because of the indefinable look she gave him.

"In me?"  
Eren knew that she only meant to tease him, he could read that much in her voice and body language. Yet he couldn't deny it, and that made him feel the heat rise to his cheeks. For the first time this evening he was grateful for the dimmed light.

"W-well, you know..." Both his mind and his ability to speak properly abandoned him, leaving him with the mere option of waiting for Annie to keep the conversation going. It didn't take her long to sigh, though.

"Look, I have my reasons, just like you have yours. But I don't intend to share them with anyone."  
The ghost of a smile tugged at her lips as she took a few steps towards Eren, closing in on him painfully slowly.  
"They're quite personal", she whispered when she walked past him, obviously finished with her task and intent on returning to the shack she shared with the other girls.

Eren would never admit to the chill that ran up his spine when she passed him. He quickly spun around, slightly surprised by the fact that Annie was already at the door, looking over her shoulder as if to say that he needed to hurry up because she wanted to go to bed.

Reflexively, he stepped forward, his eyes proving how determined he was.  
"S-so once we get to know each other better you'll tell me about them?"  
It must've sounded rather ludicrous, but Eren was far too serious about his demand to care.

Annie seemed to ask herself how his question related to what she just said, at least that's what he thought. What he didn't expect, however, was how she tilted her head back before stepping outside, closing her eyes.

"Who knows."


	8. Liar (Jean/Eren)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Can you please write Jean/Eren with established relationship? From one of their usual fight to ultra fluff ;w;

It all started with a simple, rash gesture.

"Put your hand down."

Eren hasn't noticed how close his right hand is to his lips, that his mouth is opened and that his teeth are bared. "Wha—"

"Put your hand down, Eren. Right now." Jean tries hard to keep his voice steady, to not let his fear show because he knows it will hurt his boyfriend, but he values his own life more at this moment.

Once he catches Eren's glance, he knows that this argument will end with someone getting hurt. Then he curses silently; he cannot remember the last time he has been the one bearing the emotional damage.

"Do you seriously think I'd transform just because we're having a fight?"  
Although Jean prefers Eren not screaming at him, he wishes he would stop talking with that sober tone of voice.  
"Eren, listen—"

"It's a joke, right?" Instead of putting his hand down, he starts running it through his hair to cover up his tremor, laughing out in disbelief.

This is the point at which Jean snaps, clenching his fists tightly against his side.  
"What else am I supposed to think when you're bringing your hand to your mouth with such a ferocious glint in your eyes?!"

"As if I'd hurt you, you idiot!"

There is no going back now, Jean briefly thinks before he lets his fear and anger take over. As soon as they are this deep into an argument, neither one of them thinks about apologising, no matter how the outcome may be. For that reason Jean doesn't stop his next words from coming, even though he can only guess how severe their impact may turn out to be.

"You cannot even control that power completely!"

When Eren doesn't answer but simply stares at him, mouth halfway open, lips still trembling and arms falling to his side, he knows he's gone too far. In a preposterous attempt to turn the tide he lifts his hands, palms facing toward the other male.

"H-how about we—"

"Get out."  
Eren turns around, not looking at him. For a brief moment Jean contemplates saying something, anything, but he decides that, currently, he would only make matters worse, so he turns as well and leaves the room.

Night has already fallen when Jean returns, hoping that Eren is already asleep. He plans to sneak into his bed, wrap his arms around the slightly smaller male and hold him close until morning comes; this is how they usually resolve their arguments, but a sardonic voice in the back of his head tells him that it won't work this time. He realises that voice is right when he enters the room and sees Eren sitting on the bed, lazily lifting his head upon hearing his footsteps.

He looks tired, Jean notices as he comes to a halt in the middle of the room. Perhaps Eren has already been asleep, perhaps he has just woken up again for whatever reason. The thought that Eren might have waited for his return seems ridiculous, so Jean doesn't even dare to approach him. He doesn't need to, however, because Eren stands up and approaches him, hesitantly raising his arms.

Jeans tenses when he puts his arms around his torso.  
"Oi, what is it this time?"  
His voice is hoarse, surprised, since this isn't how the usual aftermath of their fights should be. He stiffens even more when he feels Eren's shoulders jerking up and down in an unsteady rhythm, telling him that he has started sobbing.

Letting his gaze roam around the room, desperately trying to find the right words to say, he settles with resting a hand on the other's head.  
"Geez, Eren, don't do that to me. You know I can't handle you crying."

"Sorry."  
It's nothing but a sniffled excuse; Jean sighs and pulls him closer after remembering that he should be the one to apologise and not the other way round.

"You really are a handful."  
Ever so slowly, he lets the hand on Eren's head travel down to his neck, staying there for a few moments, stroking him as affectionately as he manages to.  
"Had a nightmare?", Jean asks almost forcefully gently, albeit knowing the answer to that question already. It's foolish to hope he isn't to blame for the faintly sobbing mess in his arms, but when he feels Eren shake his head, Jean closes his eyes rather gratefully. Nightmares were the one thing he couldn't help Eren with and it angered him how useless he felt in those situations. Even more useless than at the times he was the reason his boyfriend cried.

When he receives no further explanation, he pulls at some strands of Eren's dark hair, making sure he isn't pulling too hard.  
"Y'know, if you don't tell me it's hard to do something about it."

"You won't do anything either way."  
Jean deserves his reproach, but it still leaves him speechless for some moments. At first, he doesn't know how to respond, so he settles with voicing what he believes to be the truth.

"Why shouldn't I? I care about you, you know that."

Eren remains silent. Since he can't see his face, Jean can only imagine him furrowing his brow in doubt.

"Let me try at least."  
Again, no reply. He isn't used to Eren not talking to him, and he hates to admit that it scares him more than Eren transforming into a titan.  
"Please", he begs silently, burying his face in Eren's soft hair.

"Don't ever say something like that again." A demand, not just a simple request.

"I won't."

"Liar."

Jean tightens his grip around him.  
"Right? And a terrible one at that." It's probably not wise to laugh, but he doesn't know what else to do. "I'm sorry for hurting you."

"I know."  
Eren turns his head, shifting it so he can put his ear to Jean's left chest. The steady sound of his heart beating eases him, but he swears he'll never admit that.  
"I would never hurt you", he claims after a while, closing his eyes. Jean follows suit, suppressing the sudden urge to laugh at that.

They were terrible liars, both of them.


	9. Ideal (Jean/Armin)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: How about a Jean & Armin friendship prompt, where Jean is upset about Eren and Armin tries to make him realize that he seems to like him apparently but Jean contradicts, and tries to make clear that it is not Eren he likes but Armin?

"That idiot will be the cause of me losing my sanity one day!"

Jean groans loudly as he falls down next to Armin who's currently reading a book on his bed. Balancing out the sudden impact and shifting around to allow Jean more space has become a habit for him over the past weeks and even months. Jean would seek his company now and then, crossing his arms behind his head and resting against the wall, waiting for him to either bookmark his current page or to speak up first.

"Eren again?" Armin turns the page, knowing that his guess is right. The exasperated sigh is evidence enough. He grins at Jean's next words, thankful that he can cover his expression using his book.

"Who else?"

"What did you fight about this time?"

Jean opens his mouth but stops midway, blinking. Then he sheepishly scratches the back of his head. "...dunno any more."  
Stealing a few quick glances at his friend from the corner of his eye, Armin cannot help but chuckle.  
"That has happened a lot in the past few days. You not knowing why you quarrel, I mean."

It doesn't really surprise him how taken aback Jean seems to hear this. "It has?"

"You don't even notice any more, huh?"

"It annoys me, simple as that." With that Jean sighs, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Armin takes his time to respond to that, simply staring at his book for a while, not bothering to actually read and understand what is written in it. Since he knows that his friend is most likely trying to figure something out, Jean leaves him be until he finally talks again.

"Are you sure?"

Something is off with the undertone in his voice, Jean notices. He raises an eyebrow suspiciously. "Of course. What else should it be?"

He nearly chokes on his own saliva when he hears Armin's quiet, yet firm reply.  
"The quarrel of lovers is the renewal of love, they say."

"W-what?"

"In other words", Jean has never seen the other with such a serious, albeit slightly worried expression on his face, "Teasing is a sign of affection."

"What?!"  
Jean cannot quite believe him, but when he once again takes a look at Armin's earnest face, he starts to understand that this issue is something that concerns his friend greatly.

His groan probably sounds more annoyed than he is.  
"Geez, Armin, reconsider what you just said." While he can't help but feel insulted by Armin's suggestion, he also cannot dismiss that his friend isn't acting like he usually would in a situation like this. "Me? Showing affection towards Eren? Naah, never."

Armin tilts his head warily. "Really?"

"I swear. Oi, don't look at me like that!" Jean tries to sound as reassuring as possible, quickly bringing a hand to Armin's head and playfully ruffling his hair. "If I could choose, I'd like to have a relationship with someone who's... smaller than Eren, definitely. And the person should be cute and caring and shouldn't boast around or be arrogant."

The movement of his fingers slows down. "I'd still want them to be intelligent, though. Would be cool if we were experts on different topics, so we could learn from one another."  
The way he smiles so dreamily looks nice, Armin thinks, and his hand sluggishly patting his head soothes him, but he doesn't want to admit that.

"I'd have to feel at ease when I was around my partner, like a... a haven of peace and tranquillity, if you want to put it that way." Jean seems satisfied with his wording, smiling down at Armin warmly. "You would probably be my ideal partner, Armin."

It takes both of them a few moments to realize what he said.  
"Oh. OH!" Jean doesn't even need to see his face to know that his cheeks and ears must've turned red by now. "D-did I say the last part out loud?"

Hiding behind his book in embarrassment, Armin nods shakily, unsure how to respond. "Y-yes..."

Only then do they notice that Jean's hand still rests on the other's head; neither bothers to mention it, and so they stay like this.  
"Well, I-I wasn't lying, so there's n-nothing to be ashamed of!", Jean continues after a while, trying to convince not only Armin, but also himself.

Armin's voice comes out muffled from behind his book. "Really?"

"O-of course!"

They stay silent for a few seconds, and Armin takes the chance to peek over the pages, taking a look at his friend's face. The faint pink tint on his cheeks suits him, he concludes, feeling a smile tugging at his lips.

"...you'd probably be my ideal partner as well."

Armin's confession is nothing but a whisper, but he is sure the other heard him anyway. The surprised glint in his eyes is proof enough for him. He waits patiently for Jean to remove his hand from his head to put his fairly shaky arm around him, still not looking his way. Once Armin feels a warm hand on his arm pulling him closer, hecrests his head on Jean's shoulder, closing his eyes and breathing out contentedly.


	10. Accident (Ymir/Krista)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Ymir is annoying Krista and teasing her. So Krista shuts her up the only way she knows how. Unfortunately poor Reiner and Bertholdt just had to walk in on them.

All Krista had wanted was to spend the afternoon in her room, reading a book she had borrowed from Armin a while ago. It had started off really peacefully with the other girls doing something outside, so she found it easy to get into the story and hardly noticed anything around her. That's why she didn't react to the knock on the door or to her name being called repeatedly.

Getting tired of waiting for an answer, Ymir shrugged and opened the door.  
"Krista?" She slid in soundlessly and closed the door, observing her friend sitting on the bed, legs crossed and back against the wall. "Oi, Krista, are you listening to me?"  
Again, no response. Ymir furrowed her brow; she disliked being ignored, so she quickly hurried over to her.

After sitting down next to Krista, she pointed her finger at the book in her hands.  
"Babe, can't you put that aside?"  
She wasn't sure whether her friend didn't react on purpose or whether she was simply too absorbed into the story to notice her. Then again, Ymir never had been fond of books, thus failing to understand how someone could find a mere fictional story that interesting.

Shrugging, she figured that it wouldn't hurt to annoy her a bit more. Both of them were used to it anyway.  
"Krista. Krista. Hey, Krista. Kris—"

Finally, Krista clicked her tongue. "What is it?"

"Keep me company."  
It satisfied Ymir greatly that she seemed to be vexed. Not that she cared; it was her fault for not noticing her earlier. Yet, Krista refused to avert her gaze from the pages.  
"I don't have time for that."

"You're free right now."

She could've sworn she had seen Krista roll her eyes before she darted a short glance at her. "No, I actually want to spend my time reading."

"But that's boring."  
Ymir didn't bother making eye contact. Instead, she laid down and rested her head on Krista's leg, making herself comfortable and closing her eyes. Meanwhile, Krista groaned in a way that sounded too strong for her small figure.  
"I don't think so." She turned the page, not deigning to look at the girl in her lap. "Could you leave me alone now, please?"

"Don't wanna." Ymir smirked, then pursed her lips when she heard Krista sigh in defeat.

"Stay here and be quiet."

To say that Ymir was content with the course of events was an understatement, but even though she knew that this situation was by far more than she could wish for, she decided to push her luck. After making sure Krista was fully occupied again with her book, Ymir rose her hand and poked her arm. When she didn't receive any response, she started poking Krista's cheek and counted. It took exactly thirty-seven pokes and a provocative grin until Krista sighed again and looked down to the girl on her lap.

"What is it now?"

Ymir pretended to pout. "I'm bored."  
Not that her friend pitied her. Instead, she briefly closed her eyes. "Then do something about it."

Now was the chance. Slowly, Ymir lifted herself up and sat cross-legged in order to face the smaller female.  
"I want to kiss you. But you're busy. So I don't have anything to do."

She knew she had won the moment Krista marked the page and hesitantly put the book aside. "...if I kiss you, will you let me finish this chapter?"

"Sure."  
It was a lie, and both of them knew that. And even if they didn't, the way Ymir caressed Krista's cheek before leaning in and crashing her lips down on hers gave it away. It took them less than a minute to turn their simple kiss into a make-out session – mostly due to Ymir boldly pressing Krista down on the bed – and they surely would've continued, if it wasn't for a certain someone who burst through the door without knocking.

"Oi, Ymir, there's something I'd like to—" Reiner never finished his sentence but simply stared at the two girls. "Oh."  
However, it didn't take too long for him to start grinning.  
"Oh~", he repeated in a suggestive tone of voice. "Anyway, Bert and I were wondering whether—"

"Can't you see we're quite busy at the moment?" Neither him nor Bertolt had ever seen Ymir so pissed before.

"S-she's right, Reiner, we should probably go now."  
He swallowed hard, fidgeting at Reiner's sleeve, but Reiner just laughed.  
"It doesn't bother me to loo— w-what are you doing? Put that down, Ymir! I said put that do—"

Needless to say that Reiner never dared to open a door without knocking first ever again.


End file.
